Nasal atomizer



H. S. BACKUS NASAL ATOMIZER Feb. 19, 1952 Fiied Jan. 12, 1949 I INVENTOR. fiizrrwvn @fizzdus Patented Feb. 19, 1952 NASAL ATOMIZER Harrison Stout Backus, Skokie, Ill., assignor to G. D. Searle & 00., Skokie, 111., a. corporation of Illinois Application January 12, 1949, Serial No. 70,518

. 6 Claims.

This invention relates to atomizers and more particularly to a nasal atomizer by which a medicament may be sprayed into the nostril of a patient solely as the result of the latters inhaling through the atomizer.

Broadly speaking, the invention contemplates the use of a reservoir for containing a medicament, said reservoir being provided with a top element having therein certain openings and passages necessary in the functioning of the atomizer. Within this top element is an air passage having an orifice in an external surface of the element which is shaped to engage a human nostril. The passage is provided with a constricted section into which opens a small duct which has its inlet in the lower interior of the reservoir beneath the liquid level of the medicament. When the patient applies the external surface of the top element to his nostril and inhales, air is drawn into the nostril through the air passage. The air moving through the passage passes rapidly through the constricted section therein which serves as a Venturi tube and causes the medicament to be drawn into the air passage through the duct. The medicament is thus intermixed in atomized or spray form with the body of air and is carried into the patients nostril.

An important object of the invention is to provide an atomizer of the above character having all of the passages or ducts therein embodied in an integral top element which may be quickly removed from the top of the reservoir to thereby render all of the internal spaces and passages readily accessible for cleaning and sterilizing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an atomizer having the aforesaid characteristics wherein the top element containing all of the passages and ducts may be quickly removed from an empty reservoir and placed upon a filled reservoir, said reservoirs being of a character such that they may be separately furnished to a patient in a filled condition or may each contain a difierent kind of medicament.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive atomizer of the above kind which is sturdy in construction and well adapted for embodiment in pocket-size proportions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a pocketsize atomizer incorporating the invention, a cap 2 being shown applied to the top of the atomizer to close and seal .the same;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the atomizer taken through the center thereof, the cap being shown in broken lines in its closed position on the atomizer, and in solid lines removed from the atomizer;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the atomizer with the cap removed;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper portion of the top element of the atomizer showing a core with a surrounding sleeve cut away to show a groove which is provided on the core to serve as a portion of a duct through which the medicament may be drawn from a reservoir into an air passage centrally disposed within the core.

In the drawings the numeral [0 indicates, generally, a reservoir having a bottom H and a cylindrical side wall l2. The reservoir is provided with a neck I 3 which is somewhat smaller in diameter than the cylindrical wall l2, said neck being provided with external threads I l adapted to receive corresponding internal threads formed on a circular skirt l5 arranged to extend downwardly from the perimeter of a disk portion ll of a top element shown generally at [6. A hollow cylindrical sleeve I8 is centrally formed on the disk portion ll of the top element l6 and extends therethrough. That part of the sleeve which is disposed below the disk portion l1 extends downwardly into the interior of the reservoir to a point adjacent its bottom ll, while the part of the sleeve I8 above said disk portion is provided with external threads l9.

Press fitted or otherwise tightly fitted into the sleeve I8 is a cylindrical core 20, the uppermost end of which protrudes from the upper end of the sleeve l8 and is provided with a rounded external surface 2| shaped to be readily engaged with a human nostril. The lower end of the core 20 extends to the bottom of the sleeve. The core 20 is provided with an axial bore 22 which extends upwardly from the bottom of the core to a point slightly below the disk portion I! of the top element, at which point the bore is tapered, as shown at 23, to a reduced diameter to join an axial passage 24 of small diameter which has an orifice 25 in the rounded external surface 2| of the core 20.

Slightly below the lower end of the tapered portion 23 of the bore 20 are a plurality of radial openings 26 extending through the walls of the core and the sleeve l8 to connect the interior of the core with the space in the upper interior of the reservoir ID. The disk portion ll of the top element i6 is provided with a plurality of vent openings 21 which serve to vent the interior of the reservoir to the outside atmosphere.

, In the surface of the core 20, along one side thereof, is a longitudinal groove 28 which extends from the lower end of the core upwardly to a point substantially below the uppermost end of the sleeve 18, at which point a diagonally disposed duct 29 extends through the body of the core to the passage 24, thus connecting the upper end of the groove 28 with said passage. -When the core 20 is tightly fitted into the sleeve l8, as is best shown in Fig. 2, the groove 28 and the diagonally disposed duct 29 provide a continuous sleeve [i3 and the external upper surface 21 of the core 2%, the interior of said cap being provided with internal threads 3! adapted to en gage the threads 19 on thesleeve 18. The upper interior of the cap is provided with a soft pad 32, of rubber or the like, which engages the external surface 2! of the core 22 when the cap is screwed onto the sleeve [8, thus closing and seal ing the orifice 25 in the surface 2 l. The base of the cap 30 is provided with a circular gasket 33 which seals the vent openings 2'! in the disk-pop tion ll of the top element It when the cap is applied to said top element as above described.

A circular gasket ring 34 may be secured in any suitable manner to the bottom surface of the disk portion ll of the top element to engage the top edge of the neck 13 of the reservoir when the top element is screwed onto the reservoir as seen in Fig. 2, thus providing a fluid-tight seal between the top element and the neck of the reservoir. The circular gasket 34 is provided with openings in alignment with the vent openings 2? in the disk portion ll.

With the reservoir substantially or partially filled with a liquid medicament, the cap-30 may be removed from the top element It and the exposed rounded surface 2! of the core 20 may be brought to a position engaging a patients nostril. When the patient inhales through the nostril, air will be drawn downwardly into the upper interior of the reservoir through the vent openings 27. in the core 23 through the radial openings 26 and thence upwardly through the tapered portion'23 of the bore and through the passage 24 into the nostril. The upper portion of the bore 22 thus serves as an air passage wherein the passage 24 is a constriction which causes the air to pass air in atomized or spray form and is thus drawn.

into the patients nostril.

The movement of air through the upper interior of the reservoir before it is drawn into the patients nostril with the atomized medicament has an advantage in that fumes of the medicament may be carried from the upper interior of' the reservoir into the nostril. This featureof Said air will then pass into the bore22' refilling through the large neck 13.

the construction is particularly advantageous, for example, when the medicament used in the atomizer is one of the liquid vaso-constrictor compounds sometimes used to relieve congestion in the nasal passages as a result of the common cold.

When the patient has suficiently medicated his nasal passages by inhaling through the atomizer in the manner above described, the cap 38 may be screwed onto the threads 19 on the sleeve 18 to bring the rubber pad 32 into sealing position over the orifice 25 of the passage 24 and the gasket ring 33 into sealing position over the vent openings 21, thus completely sealing the remaining medicament in the atomizer. In this condition the atomizer may be carried by the patient in his pocket, for example, until another medication is desired, at which time the cap 30 with the top element 16. This feature of the construction has a still further advantage in that a patient may be provided with a single top element I6 and may be subsequently supplied with filled reservoirs in accordance with his requirements from time to time, said reservoirs being of a nature such that they may be merchandised or distributed in a filled condition with or without the top element IS.

The top element 16 may be quickly removed from a reservoir I0 by merely turning said element on the threads of the reservoir and separating the two parts. When the top element is removed from the reservoir the interior of the latter is conveniently accessible for cleaning and Similarly the passages and openings in the top element 46 are readily accessible for cleaning and sterilizing.

The foregoing detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the structure without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

- 1. A nasal atomizer comprising, a reservoir for containing a medicament to be sprayed, a top element on said reservoir having a lower portion extending into the lower interior of said reservoir and an upper portion having an external surface engageable with the human nostril, said upper portion being provided with a centrally disposed air passage having an inlet in the upper interior of said reservoir and a discharge orifice in said surface with a constriction between said inlet and said orifice, said top element, having an opening through which air may enter said reservoir and also having a duct disposed laterally of said air passage and extending from the lower and discharged into said nostril in atomized form with the air which passes through said passage upon inspiration,

2. A nasal atomizer comprising, a reservoir for containing a medicament to be sprayed, a top element on said reservoir having a lower portion extending into the lower interior of said reservoir and an upper portion having an external surface engageable with the human nostril, said upper portion being provided with a centrally disposed air passage having an inlet in the upper interior of said reservoir and a discharge orifice in said surface with a constriction between said inlet and said orifice, said top element having an opening through which air may enter said reservoir and also having a duct disposed laterally of said air passage and extending from the lower interior of said reservoir to the constriction in said passage, said top element being so constructed and arranged that said medicament will be drawn from said reservoir into said passage and discharged into said nostril in atomized form with the air which passes through said passage upon inspiration, and a cap applicable to said upper portion of said top element for simultaneously sealing said orifice and said opening.

3. A nasal atomizer comprising, a reservoir for containing a medicament to be sprayed, a top on said reservoir having an opening through which air may enter said reservoir, a sleeve on said top extending into the interior of said reservoir, a core in said sleeve, and an external surface on said core engageable with the human nostril, said core being provided with a centrally disposed constricted air passage having an inlet in com munication with the upper interior of said reservoir and a discharge orifice in said surface, and a laterally disposed duct extending from the interior of said reservoir below the level of said medicament to the constriction in said passage, said atomizer being so constructed and arranged that said medicament will be drawn from said reservoir into said passage and discharged into said nostril in atomized form with the air which passes through said passage upon inspiration.

4. A nasal atomizer comprising an element adapted to be removably secured to the top of a reservoir containing medicament to be sprayed, said element having an opening through which air may enter said reservoir and also having a lower portion adapted to extend into the interior of said reservoir beneath the surface of said medicament and an upper portion having a surface engageable with the human nostril, said upper portion being provided with a centrally disposed air passage communicating with the upper interior of said reservoir and having a constriction therein and an orifice in said surface, said element being provided with a laterally disposed duct extending from the lower interior of said reservoir to the constriction in said passage, said element being so constructed, and arranged that said medicament may be drawn from said reservoir into said passage and discharged into said nostril in atomized form with the air which will pass through said passage upon inspiration.

5. A nasal atomizer element adapted to be removably secured to the top of a reservoir containing a medicament to be sprayed, said element having an opening through which air may enter said reservoir, said element comprising a sleeve adapted to extend into the interior of said reservoir beneath the surface of said medicament, a core in said sleeve, and a surface on said core engageable with the human nostril, said core being provided with a centrally disposed constricted air passage communicating with the upper interior of said reservoir and having an orifice in said surface, and a laterally disposed duct extending from the lower interior of said reservoir to the constriction in said passage, said atomizer element being so constructed and arranged that said medicament may be drawn from said reservoir into said passage and discharged into said nostril in atomized form with the air which will pass through said passage upon inspiration. A

6. A nasal atomizer element adapted to be reinovably secured to the top of a reservoir c0ntaining a medicament to be sprayed, said element having an opening through which air may enter said reservoir and said element also having an external surface thereon engageable with the human nostril and being provided with an axially disposed, constricted air passage communicating with the upper interior of said reservoir and having a discharge orifice in said external surface, and a duct disposed laterally of said air passage and extending directly from the interior of said reservoir below the level of said medicament to the constricted portion of said air passage, said atomizer element being so constructed and arranged that said medicament may be drawn through said duct into said air passage and thence discharged therefrom in atomized form from said orifice into said nostril upon inhaling through said element.

HARRIS ON STOUT BACKUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 394,888 Smith Dec. 18, 1888 1,514,084 Holmes Nov. 4, 1924 2,438,752 'Kahn Mar, 30, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 428,432 Great Britain May 13, 1935 

